New Year’s Eve will be marked tonight across the North Olympic Peninsula with a variety of celebrations, followed by cold plunges scheduled for New Year’s Day.
Here is a list of Clallam and Jefferson County events that are free or organized by clubs or other nonprofits:
PORT ANGELES
Noon Year’s Eve
PORT ANGELES — The Feiro Marine Life Center will celebrate the eve of the new year with games, crafts and an ocean-themed “ball drop” from 10 a.m. to noon today.
Admission to the Noon Year’s Eve at the center on City Pier at 315 Lincoln St. is $5 per child for members, $10 per child for nonmembers.
Recommended for children 12 and younger, the event will give children exclusive access to marine exhibits and offer games, crafts and cocoa.
The ball drop will be at noon.
For more information, contact Melissa Williams at 360-417-6254 or melissaw@feiromarinelifecenter.org, or visit www.squareup.com/market/feiromarinelifecenter.
Eagles open to public
PORT ANGELES — The Eagles Aerie No. 483, 2843 E. Myrtle St., will hold a public New Year’s Eve dinner and dance from 7 p.m. until after midnight.
Advance tickets are $25 per person or $45 per couple, while groups can prepurchase a table of eight for $180 or a table of 10 for $225.
The cost at the door will be $30 per person or $50 per couple.
The Jimmy Hoffman band will supply rock and country music.
For reservations or more information, phone Kellie at 360-486-4926 or the Eagles at 360-452-3344.
Lower Elwha youth
PORT ANGELES — The Lower Elwha Klallam tribe’s youth program will host a New Year’s Eve dinner and party at the Lower Elwha gymnasium at 2851 Lower Elwha Road.
Everyone is invited to bring drums, rattles and singing voices for the kid-friendly, sober event.
Dinner will start at 5 p.m.; then comes a jam session and slahal tournament at 6 p.m. The Pomo Bird Dancers of California will give a performance, too.
For information and to RSVP, contact Anthony Fernandes of the Tribal Youth Program at 360-912-3152 or anthony.fernandes@elwha.org.
SEQUIM
Dinner dance
SEQUIM — Sequim Elks Club members plan a dinner-dance from 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. today.
The band Round Trip will play dance music at the club at 143 Port Williams Road.
The cost is $50 per couple, $30 individual or $10 for the dance only.
For information, phone the lodge at 360-683-2763 or the office at 360-683-2763.
PORT TOWNSEND
First Night
PORT TOWNSEND — Tonight’s First Night celebration offers activities to keep the whole family entertained as residents ring in the new year.
All activities will be in and around Port Townsend’s historic City Hall at 540 Water St. between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. today.
First Night activities offer families “an alternative to wild parties on New Year’s Eve,” said Bill Tennent, executive director of the Jefferson County Historical Society, which organized the ninth annual celebration.
Passes are available at the Jefferson Museum of Art & History in historic City Hall. Admission is by donation, suggested as being $5 per person or $10 per family.
The alcohol-free celebration will feature live music, dance, storytelling, theater and hands-on games and children’s activities.
“For us, it focuses on the kids, but there are a lot of activities for the adults — music, dancing and the theatrical” performances, Tennent said.
At 9 p.m. — midnight in Times Square — Port Townsend will usher in 2016 with the raising of an illuminated anchor created by sculptor Thaddeus Jurczynski at Madison Street, followed by fireworks provided by David Chuljian launched from Memorial Field.
“The cool thing is that it ends at 9 o’clock, so people can go and party . . . afterwards, or they can take their kids home and get them to bed early,” Tennent said.
He anticipates that 800 to 1,000 people will attend the festivities this year.
New this year will be a live display of raptors — including a barred owl, a saw-whet and a red-tailed hawk — from Discovery Bay Wild Bird Rescue.
“That will be in the Theater Gallery in the Jefferson Museum, and that will be from 6 to 8:45 p.m.,” Tennent said.
The fireworks display has been revamped this year and should please spectators, Tennent said.
“It is the best part of a fireworks display,” he said. “It is like one huge finale that goes on for about five minutes.”
Fireworks are contingent on good weather.
First Night is sponsored by First Federal.
Schedule of events:
■ 6 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. — Music by The Twins in the Cotton Building, 607 Water St.
■ 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. — “Readings for Children,” presented by Key City Public Theatre in historic City Hall.
■ 6 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. — Port Townsend Film Festival Shorts, Discovery Bay Wild Bird Rescue, History Hunt, Kids’ Prize Walk, children’s games — all in historic City Hall.
Also, call dancing with Janolyn Keller at the Pope Marine Building on Madison Street; Best of PT Shorts (mature content) at the Key City Playhouse, 1128 Lawrence St.; Hands-On Art Project (robot art) at Jefferson Community School, 280 Quincy St.; and live music by Airstream Traveler at Elevated Ice Cream, 631 Water St.
■ 6:30 to 8:45 p.m. — Dance Party at the Boiler Room, 711 Water St.
■ 7:30 to 8:45 p.m. — Community Chorus sing-along in the Cotton Building.
■ 8:45 p.m. — Closing events at Madison Street, with City Councilwoman Amy Howard as mistress of ceremonies.
■ 9 p.m. — Anchor raising and fireworks display at Madison Street.
For more information about First Night, phone Kris Lawson at 360-385-1003 or visit www.jchsmuseum.org.
Rock, soul, R&B
PORT TOWNSEND — The Port Townsend Elks Club will host a dance at 555 Otto St. tonight.
The band Kevin Mason and the Yacht Club will perform.
Finger food will be provided during the event from 5:30 p.m. until 10 p.m., admission is $15 and all dancers are welcome to sign in as guests of Ed Hauser or Steve Workman.
For information, see www.olympicpeninsuladance.com.
Hilltop dance party
PORT TOWNSEND — The Hilltop Tavern, 2510 W. Sims Way, has Jim Nyby and the F Street Band in for a no-cover-charge New Year’s Eve party.
Nyby’s New Orleans R&B, soul and classic rock ‘n’ roll will go from 8 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.
For information, phone the Hilltop at 360-385-0101.
New Year’s Day plunges
After New Year’s Eve will come the morning, and many will seek a brisk awakening for the beginning of the new year Friday.
The 28th annual Port Angeles Polar Bear Dip, planned for 10 a.m. at Hollywood Beach near City Pier, also will be a benefit for Volunteer Hospice of Clallam County through the Polar Bear Challenge.
Any individual or organization can challenge another to make the plunge and pledge a dollar amount. If they accept the challenge, participants donate that amount to the agency that provides free care for eligible terminally ill and their families.
To issue a challenge or for more information, stop by the hospice office, 540 E. Eighth St., for a brochure or phone 360-457-8133.
In Jefferson County, the dip into cold water on New Year’s Day will be at the Nordland General Store on Marrowstone Island.
The 22nd annual Mystery Bay Polar Bear Plunge will be at noon across from the store at 7180 Flagler Road.
On the West End, the Lake Pleasant Polar Bear Plunge near Forks will begin at 10 a.m., with participants gathering at 9:45 a.m. at the Lake Pleasant Recreation Area parking lot on West Lake Pleasant Road.
The 15th annual Neah Bay Polar Bear Dip will take place at noon at Front Beach on Bayview Avenue near the senior citizens building
